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Synopsis

A fully revised edition of the popular guide to Hollywood finances, updated to reflect even newer films and trends

In a Freakonomics-meets-Hollywood saga, veteran investigative reporter Edward Jay Epstein goes undercover to explore Hollywood’s “invisible money machine,” probing the dazzlingly complicated finances behind the hits and flops, while he answers a surprisingly difficult question: How do the studiosmake their money?We also learn:+ How and why the studios harvest silver from old film prints ...

+ Why stars do—or don’t do—their own stunts ...

+ The future of Netflix: Why the “next big thing” now seems in such deep trouble...

+ What it costs to insure Nicole Kidman’s right knee…

+ How Hollywood manipulates Wall Street: including the story of the acquisition of MGM… wherein a consortium of banks and hedge funds lost some $5 billion… while Hollywood made millions.

+ Why Arnold Schwarzenegger is considered a contract genius…

+ The fate of serious fare: How HBO, AMC, and Showtime have found ways to make money offer adult drama, while the Hollywood studios prefer to cater to teen audiences.

+ Why Lara Croft: Tomb Raider is considered a “masterpiece” of financing ...

Praise

Praise

Praise for The Hollywood Economist

"The answer to [the] mysteries of modern-day film financing can be found in The Hollywood Economist, Edward Jay Epstein's latest foray into the seamy underbelly of Hollywood spreadsheets."—The Wall Street Journal

"[A] terrific job.... There's fun to be had in knowing specifics, and Epstein offers plenty."—Entertainment WeeklyPraise for Edward Jay Epstein's The Big Picture

"A rich adventure that will change the way you look at movies."—BusinessWeek

"Edward Jay Epstein is here to tell us that when it comes to Hollywood these days, we've got it all wrong."—The Washington Post Book World

"One of the virtues of The Big Picture is Mr. Epstein's astonishing access to numbers that movie studios go to great lengths to keep secret....A groundbreaking work that explains the inner workings of the game."—The Wall Street Journal

"Hollywood has needed one of these for a long time--a user's manuel. This one could not be more complete....[Grade] A."—Entertainment Weekly

“In his adroit charting of the confidence flow between the various entities and eras Mr. Epstein kicks up a lot of little surprises. . . Edward Jay Epstein is quite good.” —Larry McMurtry, The New York Review of Books